Reviews by BurgeoningBrewhead:

Poured into 22oz snifter; black as night with a small fizzy tan head that fades quickly leaving some patchy foam on top. Smells like a good BBA stout; bourbon, coffee, chocolate, toffee/caramel sweetness. Tastes pretty standard; a bit unbalanced though. The bourbon flavor keeps thinning out into an odd fake vanilla flavor at the end, and there isn't really much coffee/chocolate in the malt to support anything. Might be too cold yet...it does get better as it warms. The coffee and chocolate come out a lot better, but there's still no avoiding that sickly-sweet weird faux-vanilla aftertaste. Eh well. 20oz to go...Mouthfeel is big and slick. Overall, besides the off flavor, this is a pretty good BA stout. Nothing amazing, bit unbalanced, but pretty good.

Poured from a bomber into snifter. 2015 version. Not much head, but one forms on the sides and it stays. The aroma is mostly roast, despite the variety of ingredients, but pretty inviting for a stout. Initial taste includes bourbon and vanilla--pretty tasty. As it goes on, the bourbon and vanilla fade a little and the chocolate becomes more prominent. Overall, it's a solid, silky stout. IMO, its shortcoming is a little in the body. It's not weak, but not hearty either.

T: Holy crap! Tons of vanilla backed up by a good chocolate, roasted backbone that does not overpower. Slight molasses and raisin towards the end. Bourbon flavor is perfectly subdued. Present, but not overpowering, and lets the vanilla and chocolate come to the forefront without any distractions.

M: Decently heavy, light carbonation. Thick and silky.

O: Very, very surprised by this beer. I am a fan of Heavy Seas but never have I had a beer from them that has made me go "Wow" after every sip. The short period spent in bourbon barrels seems to have been the perfect stay, as the bourbon does not overpower the base beer but lends a perfect compliment to make this beer very balanced and full of flavor. I am a huge fan of vanilla in my stouts, and this beer does not disappoint. The vanilla beans and bourbon barrels the beer is aged on lends the perfect vanilla nuance to balance the strong chocolate flavor. And at $10 for a bomber, and at 9.5% ABV, its something I could see myself drinking more often than not. Big fan of BBA Stouts, but most of them cost an arm and a leg and are often very high in alcohol that its hard to consume them on an occasional basis. It's almost like drinking a bourbon milkshake. Going to pick up another bottle tomorrow to age.

Great price point for a Bourbon Barrel Stout at $10 a bottle. The chocolate is very pleasant and goes great with chocolate cake. Personally, this is a desert beer for me. Would like the bourbon flavors to come out more, but they are there.

Poured nearly jet black except for a tinge reddish brown at the bottom of the glass when held to the light,a thin deep tan head atop.Chocolate stands out most in the nose along with dark roast coffee,the bourbon is much more low key and is not ove rbearing like way to many barrel aged stouts.Smooth with light carbonation in the mouth,it's way to easy and smooth going down.Chocolate and dark roast coffee start out the flavor profile,a nice drying earthiness stands out as well,the bourbon again is only one component that stands out instead of a dominating flavor presence.This is a nice barrel aged imperial stout,smooth and just enough flavor,nice job.

Looking much the same as the original, this beer is a fairly thick dark brown. I did get more of a head, hefty enough and well-maintained. It leaves a stiff band of tan lacing at the top of the glass with some thinner rings wherever it settles and spotting between.There's lots of creamy cocoa really complemented by the light warmth of bourbon. This beer is brewed in such a way that it's warm rather than hot, and it works as it imparts the softer, sweeter and more complex notes rather than just smashing the palate with alcohol. It's subtle but firm in its account of this brew's ingredients and handling. Very well-integrated notes of oak and vanilla from the barrel rest against a substantial roast, while the barrel aging really serves well to round out the edges and take out some of the tang and harsher notes of the base beer. Chocolate lingers overtop all the way seemingly in a mix of cocoa powder, chocolate sauce, and bittersweet cocoa nibs, ultimately ending up somewhere between milk and dark chocolate.Nice, deep and smooth with a robust body, this beer flows very pleasantly. It coats the tongue with a certain kind of thickness. It's not syrupy, per se, but almost. A light crispness keeps that at bay and pulls it together well.

A: Pours into the glass appearing black with a 1.5 finger light khaki head. Leaves some thick lacing. Light gets through about 1/8".

S: Dark fruits seem to dominate the aroma. Some vanilla from the barrel. Does have metallic qualities to it. Of course there is bourbon, dont worry :-) Does have a nice sweet character of vanilla as it warms then when swirled more of the dark fruit comes out.

T: Very balanced and mellow brew considering the flavor profile. It doesnt overpower you but still has strong bourbon, chocolate, oak and vanilla. Dark fruits get through as well. Alcohol comes through on the backend.